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Saturday, March 28, 2015

At the end of 2014 I was no different than others making new
years resolutions. There is always
the usual ones; eat better, get fit, lose weight.Yada yada yada.

In so many ways I feel like 2015 just really started for me
last week.We spent the month of
January at our friend Pokey’s place in Palm Coast Florida.In February Al was in respite at
Providence Manor for three weeks, I got away for a real vacation to Cuba for
one of the weeks.

Since Al has
been home I have had short trips to Ottawa and Guelph.

All this to say I’m just now getting Al and I back into
routines.We each have fitness
routines.And getting back to a
healthy eating routine.

I have a big year of knitting goals and several yarny and
wooly events to attend.Knitters
Frolic is fast approaching at the end of April.This will be a weekend in Toronto and a full on, have the
credit card smoking at the marketplace on the Saturday kind of event.

I’m in
transition.First trying to
transition from Facebook (less of) to blogging (more of).I regret that I did not continue to
blog in some form after Closeknit on Sailblogs.It would have been nice to have documented more
the journey of post Al’s surgery and stroke and my journey from being a partner
into being a fulltime caregiver.I
was trying to blog on my ipad which proved very labour intensive and
difficult.In an effort to make
blogging easier Kiley has set me up with her extra Macbook Pro for a trial
period.So I’m learning a lot of
techie stuff, yay me.Also I am
trying to type correctly instead of one handed.My brain knows where all the letters are but my left
hand is still learning to move easily and has limitations.The fine movements in typing are very
different than the hand movements I use that allow me the pleasure of
knitting.

Much has happened
in the almost three years since Als surgery.He has come a long way from being limited to his
wheelchair.He is now quite
ambulatory using a singlepoint
cane.He can now be left alone for
about three days.He cannot manage
Bridget, so if I go to visit the offspring such as this weekend, Bridget
usually goes into care.My
wonderful sister has agreed this weekend to visit twice a day to take Bridget
out and this is very nice for Al to have Bridget for company.When I want a longer break I book Al
intorespite care.Because of space and popularityI book him a year in advance.He is happiest going to Providence
Manor.They have a pub there which
he enjoys.He has gone there about
four times now.They know him and
it has become familiar to him and he becomes less anxious.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

I got yarn yesterday at the Needle Tree. Jane and I have been doing a lot of poking around. I do not have a lot of room in my suitcase on purpose. We visited a neat gallery called end of the lane gallery. I made done purchases but since they are Christmas gifts I can't show them here just yet.

I have been knitting, and we walked today. Tomorrow I have to be in for a nine a.m. Conference call with KGH in my role as a patient Experience Advisor.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

So monday I was up before the butt crack of dawn. My ticket recommended getting to the airport three hours in advance for an international flight. I was staying overnight in Ottawa with Mackenzie. She and I had a bit of head butting about when to go to the airport. I wanted to be there no later than four, giving me a two hour in advance window. She wanted to leave at four. These things spin me out of control, she recognizes that and we agreed on leaving by 3:45 ish, in the end I got to the airport by 4:05. I got checked in, and customs was pretty easy.

It had been the first time flying internationally from Ottawa since my horrible experience of December 2011 when the US customs kicked me out of the United States. So as you can imagine I was pretty anxious but it went off without too much of a hitch.

I still had time to kill waiting to board. I caught the free wifi and checked emails and Face book. In my tired and anxious state I apparently responded offensively to a friends Facebook post.

The flight to Newark was quick and the space tight. I didn't take out my audiobook. At Newark I had about an hour layover. There was no free wifi there so I just knit. The next leg was a two hour flight to Greenville. I had a single window seat, giving me a tiny bit more room, last row of the plane. I knit and listened to my book. The time went quickly.

I arrived and made my way to the baggage claim. Bob and Jane were waiting there for me. I adore this couple and it felt like I was arriving home to my safe and happy place. It was also Bobs birthday. I was easy to spot as I was wearing the now famous Lanesplitter skirt. We got caught up at the luggage carousel, grabbed my red luggage and headed to the car. We chatted nonstop and headed into Greenville. We did a bit of shopping and had lunch at Panera Bread. We finally arrived at 12 Craig lane around 3:30. Once I was settled in and caught the house Wifi, I checked in for messages and checked Facebook. It was then that I was alerted to the fact I had upset and "miffed" someone on Facebook.

Long story, short, I apologized both publicly and privately and I'm moving on. In the past I would let these types of things eat me up and spit me out. So I have made the decision to move from Facebook to blogging. People can follow me or not. It's more for me than anyone else.